The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1887-03-17
WASHINGTON 7 7
From Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON. D. c.,
MARCH 11th, 1887.

HAAhSh l4t1, 4OCts L
Although the marble halls of
the Capitol were deserted by our
a week ago, many of
them still linger in Washington,
and will continue here for months
to come. The northern Represent
atives are Tooth to leave the mild
climate of the Capitol at this sea-
son of the year, and are always
disposed to remain here, Congress
or no Congress until, as one of
them remarked, it thaws out at
home
The air is still full of extra ses-
sion talk. Democratic members
of Congress and others who have
means of knowledge on the sub
ject, do not now believe that the
Fiftieth Congress will be called to-
gether soon, but that an extra ses-
sion in the early autumn is al evil
that ought to be faced.
The House of Representatives
that was elected in November last,
entered upon it's official existence
on the 4th. of this month, and its
members are now under pay
They are doing no service and
without organization are incapa-
BILE of doing any. It is not until
they have assembled, elected a
speaker, and been arranged in
committees, that they a enter
upon'the work of legislation. If
Congress does not meet until the
usual time in December, in the
light of many precedents little or
nothing a be expected oft until
the beginning of next year, for it
is well known that no Congress
has attempted to do any real work
until after the holiday recess.
An extra sesrion is always un-
popular and the President is .anx-
ious, of. course, to avoid it, but in
order that some of the important
legislation to come up during the
next year may be matured in time,
it is thought to be tie only alter
native. Those whose counsel is
frequently sought at the White
House now say that the contem-
plated extra session would begin
about the first of October and run
along into regular session, and
that the questions of revenue and
taxation would receive attention
first.
Another reason why it is deem
ed expedient to make the Fiftieth
Congress take advantage of extra
time is the fact that the next year
will be devoted largely to Presi-
dent making. Although it seems
but yesterday since Mr.. Cleveland
was inaugurated, yet, only fifteen
months from now, will the Nation
al Convention be held to nominate
his successor. The two great par
ties in Congress, when they as
semble after the holiday recess,
will be s%urcharged with politics,
and every movement that is made
at either end of the Capitol will
have more or less reference to can
didates and politics and the issues
of the ensuing campaign.
Between the friends of the Ad-
ministration on the one hand, in
tent on maintaining its credit and
vindicating its record, and the OPP
ponents of the Administration on
the other, eager to disparage it in
the confidence of the people
between combinations here and
combinations there in the interest
of rival aspirants-the Capitol will
partake far more of the character
of an arena of partisan controver.
sy than of serious and disinterest.
ed labor for. the welfare of the
country. Considering all this, the
friends of the Administration feel
that the President would be entire
ly justified in promoting the
chances of legislation which the
public interests demand by the
call of an extra session.
President Cleveland's care and
industry in reading all bills, great
and small, and examining them
personally before signing his name
to them, has been criticised as an
unnecessary assumption Of labor
on the part of the Chief Executive
1t is quite certain Mr.. Cleveland
has taken more pains in this re,
spect than any of his predecessors
and it cannot be said that any o:
his assistants ever wrote his sigma
ture to enacted laws. This respon.
sibility he delegated to
member of his Cabinet even in thu
case of unimportant bills.
On the 4th of March, 1885, wher
MI. Arthur and his Cabinet arriv
ed at the Capitol and entered the
Presidents room, where, on The
tables, in large piles lay the bill.
to which his signature was to b.
affixed, one pen for the Presiden
was not enough. Half a dozer
more pens were called for, the doc:
was locked (the Inauguration cere
monies were then waiting) and il
| a remarkably short space of TIM
every one of the bills had MI. Ar
thurs name to it. At the Stat
Department where they can be ex
amined, the signatures to the bill
3 of that date show a variety of pen
: manship. Ju@o.
j., The Congress which ended it
, existence two weeks ago, has al
forded a striking illustration 0
the constant increase in the vol
, ume of legislation commandini
, the attention of Congress whicl
has been going on for the las